Screenwriter Max Landis (Chronicle, Power Rangers) has confirmed via his Twitter that he is currently penning a screenplay for Warner Bros.‘ long-in-development Pepe Le Pew movie! He confirmed that Penelope the cat would be one of the main characters and that the tone would be of a “romantic french new wave ’60s heist movie” ala Band of Outsiders or Rififi. Landis also included a snippet from his screenplay and a YouTube video explaining his take on the beloved (and very un-PC) Looney Tunes and Merrie Melodies character, which you can check out below!
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Perhaps it is lucky you will never see the look of deranged manic glee on my face when I write Pepe Le Pew dialogue. pic.twitter.com/ycr3eKLcQ4
— Max Landis (@Uptomyknees) July 25, 2016
In the cartoons, which first premiered in 1945, Pepé Le Pew is a French skunk who is always in pursuit of a black cat that has a white stripe painted down her back by accident. He, of course, thinks it’s a skunk and won’t take “no” for an answer, even though she often physically assaults him. The Chuck Jones-directed Pepé Le Pew short “For Scent-imental Reasons” won an Oscar for Best Short Subject (Cartoons) in 1949.
Back in 2010 it was reported that Mike Myers (Shrek, Austin Powers) would take on the voice of Pepé Le Pew in a live-action/CGI feature at Warner Bros. Pictures, although there is no indication that Myers is still in the frame or even what style of animation will be employed. It is also unknown how or even if a Pepe Le Pew movie will connect to New Line’s Speedy Gonzalez movie or Justin Lin’s Space Jam sequel.
Landis currently has many projects in the air, including a BBC series version of Douglas Adams’ “Dirk Gently’s Holistic Detective Agency,” the Will Smith fantasy feature Bright and the Bradley Cooper-starrer Deeper.
